St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-13

directions. And now comes the news from
London that Finley has appeared in that
city, and that he is making free with tall
stories about his reasons for being there.
He has represented himself as holding diff
ferent confidential positions under the
United States governments, Some of these
representations have been made publicly,
and others have been communicated in dis
Greet confidence To one gentleman he has
asserted that he was
MR.. TILDEN's CONFIDENTIAL AGENT,
and that to him was con6ded the care and
disbursement of the campaign fund expended
for Mr.. Tilden in 1876. Then, for the
purpose. apparently, of creating a strong
impression of his greatness at home. he has
represented that he is in London
on a special and private mission for
Mr.. Bayard for whom he has a high
regard. This special and private mis-
SION is one of Inspection of the different
conSulates and legations. and it is made
particularly to enable the state depart
ment. upon his report to decide who should
be retained and who put out. He seems to
have inspired men of business with de-
gree of confidence in him; that he has al
lowed them to listen and believe when he
told bankers and financiers that Secretary
Manning sent him to London Ito get the
feeling of the 6nanciers in the great finan-
cial center OF the world in regard to the
silver question" In his attempt TO give
the impression he has succeeded amazingly
we'll. and certainly to an extent that would
lead Americans to conclude that it is easier
for a garrulous blowhard to get along in
London than it is in New York. Among
the keen business men he has become ae-
quainted with very many good people, re-
celved invitations to many excellent din
ders, and at table has ratified along in con-
versatOn with never a good word for
anybody except the late Mr.. Tilden. The
president, notwithstanding the fact that he
had told big" Finley to take the refusal
of the Paris consul generalship. is
SPOKEN OF AS 'PIG-HEADED."
Secretary Bayard. who has imposed upon
him, according TO his own story, delicate
and important mission of inspection, is al
together too slow. Secretary Manning,
who has. as the colossal Finley represents,
also conferred duties upon him. is described
as ''an accident" Mr.. Phelps. he is bound
to say, although he is cousin of the colo
nePs mother, is ''Lo g." Consul Gen
eral Waller he represents as indebted to
him for having been nominated and elected
governor OF Connecticut, and yet he is
repeating with more or less inaccuracy
the familiar story OF Gov. Walters obscure
origin and distressing early life-a story
very familiar to any one who has read any
thing about the genial consul general at
London. Big" Finleys yarns are told in
a way that is intended to be impressive, and
to persons who do not imagine how great a
fraud he is, they have been received as
semi official. One OF his new found friends.
who was warm friend OF Cardinal Man
ming. secured for him the favor of an inter-
view with the cardinal. One incident OF
his life in London is asserted to be as true
as it is base in character. Being invited to
stop with friend and being given room
IN his friends house opposite to his library
he inspected all the private letters of his
host,
READ HIS LETTER BOOKS,
got the names of individuals with whom
the Fl end had confidential relations, and
then visited those individuals to say that he
was the friends confidential attorney. The
result was that he nearly ruined his hosts
business, and yet regret is expressed that
the law is so strict in England that per-
son would hahg for killing such a man.
Among the other claims put forth by Col"
Fnlay is one that he is the special attor-
ney of the Alaska Fur company, and that
he is paid $40, 600 a year for his services to
that corporation. Finlay's career in Wash
ington dates from the campaign of 1876.
He has also attempted to work off on Lon
don investors large number of the bonds
of the ''Anglo-American Insurance COM
pany." These bonds, on strong market,
are said not to be worth the paper they are
printed on.
Finlay was the man who went to Mime
sofa in 1876 and carried the state conven-
ton for Tilden. He was one of Donnelly's
counsel in the contest with Washburn.